UBUNTU MASSACHUSETTS LOCAL COMMUNITY TEAM TO ATTEND ANIME BOSTON 2010by Danny Piccirillo on 2009-11-23 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ubuntu Linux-based operating system to have presence at upcoming convention;
expects to reach thousands of new users
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Monday, November 23rd, 2009: The Ubuntu Massachusetts Local Community Team will be present at the 2010 Anime Boston convention to bridge the Free and Open Source community with the anime fans. They have partnered with Linux Fund to hold a fund-raiser to cover the costs of the event.
After a small but successful presence at the Anime Boston convention in 2009, the Ubuntu Massachusetts Local Community Team has planned an extensive campaign to reach out to the estimated 18,000 attendees in 2010. According to Danny Piccirillo, the member who attended the convention in 2009 on behalf of the team, their materials were snatched up quickly and " seemed to be the only thing on the flyer table that people actually wanted".
Ubuntu, he believes, is the perfect operating system for the many fans of Japanese animation. The widespread anime fandom is a passionate and tight-knit, yet diverse and open minded community which could be a major boost to Ubuntu's viral spread. Piccirillo expects that they will be very receptive to Ubuntu. It being a beautiful, highly customizable, Free and open source OS with a supportive, enthusiastic community that very much mirrors their own.
The team is very ambitious, but essential pieces of the project include inserting brochures into 16000 registration bags and distributing copies of the Ubunchu manga, a Japanese-style comic about a system-admin club of three students who discover Ubuntu. How much more the team can offer depends on how much community support they receive, but they are confident that their goals are very attainable. They will also be performing demonstrations, offering live installs, and capturing everything on video to extend their reach to YouTube and continue to have an impact long after the convention closes its doors for the year.
This project will also be setting a precedent for future projects by other FOSS groups. Linux Fund will be providing fiscal sponsorship to the Ubuntu Massachusetts Local Community Team, allowing them to receive tax-deductible donations to cover the costs of the event. Linux Fund is in the process of implementing a system that will allow them to provide this service to other groups at a competitive cost. Michael Dexter, Linux Fund Program Director is enthusiastic about the project stating, "I am really impressed by the enthusiasm and initiative of the team and know that there are countless communities like them around the world. We are excited to empower this grass-roots effort with our financial infrastructure."
This has the potential to be a real game-changer since such a valuable resource has not been readily available for FOSS groups in the past. This relationship reflects the growing trend of FOSS groups building relationships with the non-profit community, opening up many new possibilities. More details are available at: http://blog.thesilentnumber.me/2009/11/can-ubuntu-reach-over-16000-anime.html
About Ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/
Ubuntu is a community developed and supported project. Since its launch in October 2004, Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around the world. Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used Linux system, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem.
About the Ubuntu Massachusetts Local Community Team http://ubuntu-massachusetts.com/
The Ubuntu Massachusetts Local Community Team is a group of volunteers and activists organized around working to grow the ecosystem of individuals, companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental and intergovernmental institutions using the Ubuntu operating system. The team advocates digital freedom and promotes Ubuntu as a step towards achieving this while also offering support and connecting users throughout the state to help any kind of organization or individual understand the power and simplicity of Free and Open Source solutions.
About Linux Fund http://www.linuxfund.org/
Linux Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial and advisory support to the free and open software community. Linux Fund has given away over $750,000 to open source events and development since its founding in 1999 using funds raised through its line of credit cards and direct donations.
About Anime Boston http://animeboston.com/
Anime Boston is an annual three-day Japanese animation convention held in Boston, Massachusetts. Anime Boston 2010 will be held Friday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th at the Hynes Convention Center and Sheraton Boston Hotel.
Anime Boston 2010 will once again be presenting popular events which include a masquerade, an anime music video contest, video programming rooms, an artists' alley and art show, karaoke, game shows, video games, manga library, dances and balls, and much more. Anime Boston will also be hosting some special guests and industry representatives.
Media Contacts
Danny Piccirillo
Team Member, Project Leader
Ubuntu Massachusetts Community Team
Email: danny.piccirillo@ubuntu.com
Mobile: +1.617.340.3661
Martin Owens
Team Leader
Ubuntu Massachusetts Community Team
Email: doctormo@ubuntu.com
Mobile: +1.857.277.2117
Michael Dexter
Program Director
Linux Fund
Email: dexter@linuxfund.org
Mobile: +1.503.789.8978